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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Waxahachie (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Waxahachie. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the southwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the south.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the west contained birth and death records; the county to the south contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Waxahachie is located in Ellis County and is the County Seat.

To see how the shape of Texas' counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Ellis County: Dallas, Henderson, Hill, Johnson, Kaufman, Navarro & Tarrant.

Below are the counties that are near Waxahachie. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Waxahachie:

  • Ellis County     (The home county of Waxahachie)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Waxahachie, with the one closest to Waxahachie listed first.
    • Ike
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Sardis
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Sardis. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sardis
      • Sardis is located in Ellis County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Sardis
      • From Waxahachie to Sardis
    • Sterrett
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Boyce
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Pecan Hill
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pecan Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pecan Hill
      • Pecan Hill is located in Ellis County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 714 people
    • Boz
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Oak Leaf
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oak Leaf have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Leaf
      • Oak Leaf is located in Ellis County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,498 people
    • Red Oak
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Red Oak have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Oak
      • Red Oak is located in Ellis County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 14,098 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Red Oak <3>
    • Howard
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Forreston
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Nash
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Palmer
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Midlothian
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Dallas County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Waxahachie, with the one closest to Waxahachie listed first.
    • Ovilla
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Glenn Heights
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Glenn Heights have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glenn Heights
      • Glenn Heights is located in Dallas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 14,333 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Glenn Heights <3>
    • DeSoto
      (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Lancaster
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lancaster have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lancaster
      • Lancaster is located in Dallas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 39,265 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lancaster <3>
    • Shamrock
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shamrock have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shamrock
      • Shamrock is located in Dallas County
    • Ferris
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ferris have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ferris
      • Ferris is located in Dallas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,069 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ferris <3>
    • Cedar Hill
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Wilmer
      (16 miles [25.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wilmer have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilmer
      • Wilmer is located in Dallas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,444 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Wilmer <3>
    • Duncanville
      (17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
    • Hutchins
      (18 miles [29 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hutchins have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hutchins
      • Hutchins is located in Dallas County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 6,020 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Hutchins <3>
    • Lisbon ‑ Historic
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Lisbon. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lisbon
      • Lisbon is located in Dallas County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Lisbon
      • From Waxahachie to Lisbon
    • Jimtown Junction ‑ Historic
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
    • Cockrell Hill
      (23 miles [37 km] to the north)
  • Hill County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Waxahachie, with the one closest to Waxahachie listed first.
    • Mertens
      (23 miles [37 km] to the south)
    • Carl's Corner
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Carl's Corner have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carl's Corner
      • Carl's Corner is located in Hill County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 199 people
    • Itasca
      (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
    • Brandon
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brandon have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brandon
      • Brandon is located in Hill County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Brandon <3>
    • Lovelace
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Irene
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Irene have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irene
      • Irene is located in Hill County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Irene <3>
    • Covington
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Covington have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Covington
      • Covington is located in Hill County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 283 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Covington <3>
    • Bynum
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bynum have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bynum
      • Bynum is located in Hill County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 208 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bynum <3>
  • Johnson County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Waxahachie, with the one closest to Waxahachie listed first.
    • Grandview
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grandview have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grandview
      • Grandview is located in Johnson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,817 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Grandview <3>
    • Alvarado
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alvarado have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alvarado
      • Alvarado is located in Johnson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,624 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Alvarado <3>
    • Lillian
      (21 miles [33.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lillian have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lillian
      • Lillian is located in Johnson County
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lillian <3>
    • Cuba
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Cuba. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cuba
      • Cuba is located in Johnson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Cuba
      • From Waxahachie to Cuba
    • Coyote Flats
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
    • Egan
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Egan. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Egan
      • Egan is located in Johnson County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Egan
      • From Waxahachie to Egan
    • Parker
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Briaroaks
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Briaroaks have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Briaroaks
      • Briaroaks is located in Johnson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 506 people
    • Cross Timber
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
    • Keene
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Keene have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Keene
      • Keene is located in Johnson County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 6,588 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Keene <3>
    • Burleson
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Kaufman County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Waxahachie, with the one closest to Waxahachie listed first.
    • Rosser
      (23 miles [37 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rosser have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rosser
      • Rosser is located in Kaufman County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 422 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Rosser <3>
    • Cottonwood
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cottonwood have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cottonwood
      • Cottonwood is located in Kaufman County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 209 people
    • Crandall
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Crandall have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crandall
      • Crandall is located in Kaufman County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,268 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Crandall <3>
    • Scurry
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
    • Grays Prairie
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grays Prairie have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grays Prairie
      • Grays Prairie is located in Kaufman County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 388 people
    • Styx
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
  • Navarro County
  • Tarrant County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Waxahachie, with the one closest to Waxahachie listed first.
    • Retta
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Retta have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Retta
      • Retta is located in Tarrant County
    • Johnsons Station
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Rendon
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Dalworthington Gardens
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Kennedale
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Arlington
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
    • Oak Grove
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oak Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Grove
      • Oak Grove is located in Tarrant County
    • Pantego
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pantego have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pantego
      • Pantego is located in Tarrant County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,496 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pantego <3>
    • University Park Village
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for University Park Village have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for University Park Village
      • University Park Village is located in Tarrant County
    • Everman
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Everman have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Everman
      • Everman is located in Tarrant County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 6,127 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Everman <3>

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Waxahachie, see our County-by-County Page for Waxahachie.

Cemeteries Near Waxahachie ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Waxahachie.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Waxahachie covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Waxahachie, with the one closest to Waxahachie listed first.

  • Hillcrest Park Cemetery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Hillcrest Park Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Hillcrest Park Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Sardis Cemetery
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
  • Smith Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Smith Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Smith Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bell Chapel Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Bell Chapel Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Bell Chapel Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Bells Chapel Cemetery
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
  • Prude Hyde Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Prude Hyde Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Prude Hyde Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Graves Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Graves Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Graves Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Red Oak Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Red Oak Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Red Oak Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Mt. Zion Cemetery
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Mt. Zion Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Mt. Zion Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Shiloh Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Shiloh Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Shiloh Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Boren Cemetery
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Boren Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Boren Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Greathouse Cemetery
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Greathouse Cemetery
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Greathouse Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
  • Continue List   (175 more) ...
    • Glenwood Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Glenwood Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Glenwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Templeton Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Templeton Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Templeton Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Douglas Cemetery
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Douglas Cemetery
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Douglas Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<4>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Waxahachie had a population of 3,076 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Waxahachie had a population of 39,797 people.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Waxahachie, with the one closest to Waxahachie listed first.

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Waxahachie. See our List of 1890's Communities around Waxahachie.

Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Waxahachie ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 236 newspapers that have been published in the area around Waxahachie.

We have organized these newspapers into two lists:

  • A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Waxahachie. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Waxahachie and those printed in the larger area surrounding Waxahachie.
  • An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 28 miles [45.1 km]<5> of Waxahachie.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These professional and volunteer websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Waxahachie:

The official website for Waxahachie: www.waxahachie.com/

The official website for Ellis County: www.co.ellis.tx.us/

The official website for State of Texas: https://texas.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<2>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<3>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<4>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Waxahachie, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<5>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Waxahachie) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Waxahachie. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 32.3971, Longitude: -96.8448    









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 29 Apr 2025